I wish there was a Franklin Mortgage and Investment Company when I was younger. The Franklin would have totally impressed my dates, or my friends visiting from my hometown. This place would have been perfect to rock my brown and cream wingtips with my double-breasted pinstriped suit. This would be back during that curious swing dance craze in the nineteen nineties. This place would’ve blown their minds. This bar is set up like a speakeasy with all the details in place. The shiny dark brown leather seats and chandeliers makes you feel like you’re drinking in secret luxury. If this place would have been around when I was in college, we would go to the Franklin just before going dancing. After a couple of excellent top shelf old timey drinks we’d be ready for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.
The art in the Franklin is a 20 foot long mural depicting scenes from 1920‚Äôs life. The focus of the mural is a three piece suit wearing gangster in the middle. I‚Äôd like to believe men walked around casually carrying around Tommy guns with sweet brown and cream wingtips. I‚Äôd also like to believe the boxer Jack Dempsey had a fight at a party while a beautiful couple danced the night away. The greatest thing in the mural is Ben “Mr. Electric‚Äù Franklin is in a crap game with what looks like the cast of Newsies.
These scenes play out nicely because of the well-placed columns and doorways to separate the vignettes . Because all the figures are about 4 1/2 feet tall, it makes me believe this is the actual size of 1920’s/ 30’s Philadelphians. You gotta experience this in person. Feels like you’re in a time when adults drank illegally.
Franklin Mortgage and Investment Company
112 S. 18th St.
Tags: Bar, Drinking, mural, Rittenhouse, The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co., Tshombe